07/01/2012 Broughton Heights

Length: 6.29 miles  10.1 km
Ascent: +677m
Naismith: 3h 9m

Weather: Dry with occasional showers, wind 40-50 mph gusting to 60/70 mph on the tops.

After a month or two of rain, wind, and more rain and wind, Mrs H and I were, to put it mildly, desperately in need of some excersise.

The forecast for the day suggested that walking would be near impossible to the north so a Munro was out of the question. I didn't particularly fancy a squelch in the Galloways and even the Lakes forecast didn't suggest a long drive and a short day would be a suitable investment.

I took a chance and suggested a small hill in the vicinity of the Borders. I didn't hear a no...

So, Broughton it was.

The drive down to Biggar was pleasant enough and the wee back road to Broughton quiet. Turn left at the T junction and then first right up to Broughton Place, round the back of the farm and on to the walkers car park next to the shepherds cottage (enough space for about 10 cars).

We followed the John Buchan Way (13 miles to Peebles) for a half mile or so and then followed a faint track up Cat Cleugh Head and then up Trahenna Hill for the first Marylin of the day. The ridge then winds NWish across Grey Yade, Green Lairs and on to Hammer Head. The latter can be seen clearly from the carpark. The wind picked up and the hard shells gloves and hats went on. It was blowing hard by the time we reached Hammer Head. We were wearing enough clothes for a whiteout on Cairngorm and my weather eye could see a shower coming in from the plains.

I elected to drop down out of the wind to the north and as we lost height the shelter improved and the temperature rose until we stood on the JBW again and paused for water and mini mars bars.

With plenty daylight left, it was up again, following a quadbike track onto Broomy Side, the wind rising again as we gained height. As we reached the ridge line another light shower was passing in the now gale force wind. All the clothes went back on as we caught up (yes, caught up) with some like minded walkers.

Green Law was passed on the way to the summit of Broughton Heights (aka Pyked Stane Hill). By now the wind was fierce and cold so I moaned at Mrs H as she took a couple of pics and we set off back the way we had come.

Back on the JBW, slightly west of where we started up Broomy Side, another wee pause for sandwiches and then a nice (if boggy) amble back to the car.

We shall return (on a nicer day) there is a nice horseshoe to be done and another Marylin to tick.

04/11/2011 Beinn Narnain

Beinn Narnain 926

Length: 7.62 miles  12.26 km, Ascent: +944m, Naismith: 3h 48m

After almost 2 months commuting to Reading I finally set foot on a hill again.

quick day out to stretch the legs.

car to car in 4 hours

04/09/2011 Beinn Narnain

Beinn Narnain 926

Length: 7.62 miles  12.26 km, Ascent: +944m, Naismith: 3h 48m

quick day out to stretch the legs.

car to car in 4 hours

30/07/2011 To Rotten Bottom and back again

Erie Hill (donald)
Garelet Dod (donald)
Cape Law (donald)
White Coomb (donald/corbett)
Lochcraig Head (donald)
Molls Cleugh Dod (donald)

Length: 13.7 miles  22.0 km, Ascent: +1301m, Naismith: 6h 35m

Another solo day so I took full advantage to indulge in my growing Donald habit.

welcome to scotland

Parked up at on the road at Talla Linnfoots farm. On with the boots and over the bridge and up Garelet Hill despite the dire warnings on the notice board. I can only imagine that this is a very old sign (pre outdoor access code) or is some throw back to the water board. It's a stiff wee pull to the top but ther views quickly open up. I was able to see Broad Law and the unmistakable mast.

With my ML training approaching I thought I would make the effort to estimate timing betwen hills, so out with the map despite the very good visibility, and some mental arithmetic followed. I was a bit smug when Erie Hill  arrived right on schedule after wading through calf deep woodrush. A pause for brunch and more mental arithmetic and then it was on to Garelet Dod. This time there was a quadbike track to follow. Now, either my sums were wrong or these parallel lines of flattened grass shaved 15 minutes off my estimated time. I suspect that it speeded things up, my counting isn't that bad.

molls cleugh dod from erie hill 


I had reached a point in my plan for the day where I could

1. Drop down to the gameshope burn, cross by the footbridge marked on ther 25k map and then climb up to Molls Cleugh Dod, move on to Lochcraig Head and descend to Meggat Stone via Nickies Knowe and Wood Brae.
2. Continue on to Cape Law, make for Rotten Bottom, Lochcraig Hill and return over Molls Cleugh Dod.

Plan 2 won. I was slightly concered because it looked very far. These hills lack distinct features. To differentiate between Bidean nam Bian and Buachaille Etive Mor is pretty straight forward. These Donalds hills are all big grassy lumps, regular map checking is really essential to keep track of progress. Subtle features are revealed as the walk continues, craggy cleughs, boggy lochans and occasional boggy bogs.

hill, probably din law

It still looked very far, even though the map said 1.5km to Cape Law it looked almost twice that distance. What was I flapping about? I had come out for a walk. I was a fit as a fit thing. 3 big bowls of pasta the night before. 6 Munros the previous week (4 of which had been a 12 hour session on the Grey Corries). I am confident in my navigation. (see previously mentioned 12 hour session in the Grey Corries). Sod it. Start walking.

Needless to say Cape Law arrived bang on time and gave me the first surprise of the day. Another walker. Anywhere else it would have been expected, but here, I was genuinely surprised. He was sitting with his doggy so I paused for a brief chat as I passed. He expressed the same level of surprise at seeing me.

rotten bottom. check the map if you don't believe me

The next feature was Rotten Bottom. This is never going to bode well wherever the circumstances. On the descent from Cape Law I could see a dog leg in the dyke so I cut across, aiming for the point where the dyke stopped. It stopped because Rottten Bottom started.

It wasn't as rottern as it could have been. We've not had much rain so I didn't encounter the really boggy bit until I was almost across. Double back and double back again until I worked my way around it. I knew it was over because the dyke started again.

The next bump was called Firthhope Rig and, as I had been obsessing over Donalds, I hadn't noticed how close it was to White Coomb (corbett). So, as I was passing, I strolled across and back again. Bonus Tick. You don't get many of them. Back on route to Lochcraig Head and then a short reascent to Molls Cleugh Dod.

loch skene from lochcraig hill. it feeds the gray mare's tail

I had discovered there was a bothy at Gameshope and I had decided to visit it. This led me down to where the 25k map shows a footbridge. No footbridge. I found a rough path along the east side of the burn and followed this easily to a big barn opposite the bothy. On the opposite side of the burn is a depth guage. I can only assume that the burn can get quite big - it does have quite a large catchment area. No such problems today, the bothy was reached easily and is very nice. No wood burning stove but then there isn't any wood around to burn. Gameshope's lower reaches are very pretty and would not be out of place in the Lakes. Fortunately, they are in Upper Tweedale and are much less visited.

vallet of ther gameshope. erie hill is the pointier one

Left the car at 10:15 returned at 17:30. 42 Donalds out of 89 - 47.19% but who's counting?

22/07/2011 Beinn a'Bheithir

Sgorr Dhonuill (munro)
Sgorr Dhearg (munro)

A solo day and a mere 25 years it's taken to return to this particular hill. The first attempt was in winter, sometime in the mid to late '80s and I was with my Dad and one of his pals. There was a thaw on and lumps of snow were falling from the face of the summit so I decided not to finish the hill but wait while they bagged the summit and came back. “You were right, that was dodgy”. Vindication. I also lost my casio watch. Funny how things stick in your memory.

the dragon's tooth

classic pic

2 years ago, Mrs H, Cb and myself went to climb School House ridge. I was under the impression that it was a Grade I but it I've now read somewhere it is Grade II. Mostly a hill walk but a short steep section with considerable exposure and no rope defeated us.

towards mull and lismore island

Attempt no. 3 was last winter, 2 hours battling through the trees resulted in Cb and I emerging into the corrie in waist to almost chest deep powder snow. We had a quick conference and decided to try and find the path down. A further half an hour of floundering got us to the deer fence (about 100m) and some tracks that we followed back to the proper path and eventually the car. If, by some chance, we had actually managed to get to the bottom of the route and climb it, we would have come down into the corrie in the dark and struggled to find the route down.

looking east to glencoe

So, 4th time lucky. A bright sunny day. 2 hours from the car to the bealach, a bite to eat and the elusive peak was in the bag. The view was quite superb. Mull, Ardgour, Mamores, Ben Nevis, Glencoe, Bidean, Ben Starav and Cruachan. Just as well Mrs H hasn't done it. Worth a return visit.

Back at the car 5 ½ hours after starting.

19/07/2011 Grey Corries

Stob Ban (munro) 

Stob Choire Claurigh (munro)
Stob Coire an Laoigh (munro) 
Sgurr Choinnich Mor (munro)


Length: 15.9 miles  25.7 km, Ascent: +1834m, Naismith: 8h 11m

This one has been on the todo list for a long time.

And so it came to pass that the weans were to be minded by the most excellent nanny and papa and H and Mrs H were to go to the hills again. You'd think we'd know better by now.

We had hatched a plan so cunning that you could pin a tail on it and call it a fox. Drop the kids off just before bed time get them settled and drive, drive, drive to a suitable place, sleep in our wonderful, ever reliable, magical estate car and then be placed perfectly for an early start and early return to previously mentioned kids.

The best laid plans etc. etc. etc. We made it to Fort William by midnight and, too tired to carry on, headed for the most excellent North Face car park. It wasn't a busy as I had expected. On the last visit there had been 2 motor homes taking up at least half a dozen spaces. I regarded this as "a bit cheeky". No such problems finding a space. 1 tent occupied by a group of silent MTB'ers with their bikes padlocked outside their tent was all that there was.

We got settled in to our bags, too tired, even for a cup of tea.

I was awoken by the rain. Then by some midges venturing in through the open window. Finally at about 6am, I heard the rumble of a diesel engine and poked my head slowly over the window ledge. A police car doing a slow drive by and then it was gone again. Time to get up.

We packed bags and drove to the road head for the Grey Corries. Here we were able to get the stove on for a breakfast cuppa, dressed in hill clothes, packed much food into sacs and we were off!

The route we (I) had opted for was to take in 4 peaks, to do this in a logical way, we would walk through the Lairig Leacach to the wee bothy and then climb Stob Ban by the stalkers path (only marked on 1:25000 map). From there it would the long haul up to Stob Choire Claurigh and the start of the Grey Corries ridge. We had a shower of rain on the way to the bothy but then it cleared and the Stob Ban section was dry and it looked promising. The cloud remained fixed on Stob Choire Claurigh. So we asended into the murk and were rewarded by 15 to 20m visibility.

big slabs

I'd love to post lots of photos of the gorgeous views but there was none. I'm sure it is beautiful. I cannot verify that. What I can do is be particularly smug about my navigation. Not only did we do the right hills in the right order, but we made it back to the car. Bonus.

Stob Ban

Our only adventure was on the top Stob Coire Easin. Here is a junction of sorts, this is the point in the ridge where, to turn right takes the walker down the ridge towards the dam and the car, to turn left takes the walker further away from the car, and civilisation into the depths of Lochaber and almost trackless wilderness. And bog.

Stob Ban in glorious panorama

After a quick conference, we felt all was ok, I took a bearing and we turned left to follow a faint track heading in roughly the right direction between great piles of stone. After descending for 5 mins I mentioned that I wasn't happy with the direction and ground we were covering. Mrs H agreed so we turned around and re climbed the hill only to find a better track heading in exactly the right direction. This led to further adventure.

halfaseesaw, wet

Mrs H had had a wee slip on the way across the bealach between Stob Ban and Stob Choire Claurigh. The rock is mostly quartz in nature and tends to form large flat sections which, in the rain, were slippy. This knocked her confidence and her hip and maybe her knee too.

after some rooting about on internet looks like a Dactylorhiza maculata, Heath Spotted-orchid

So, when the ridge became narrower, rockier, slippier and steeper, we became slower. Then the rain started. The next 2 hours were taken up by edging down big bocks of scree to reach the bealach, crossing to the last Munro and the seemingly endless succession of  false tops and apparently pursuing a phantom sheep that defecated on the path every 6 feet.  On one false top in particular, if the cloud had been any thicker, I could have quite easily turned around  thinking I'd bagged the summit. The plus side the endless ascent was followed by a remarkably rapid descent and re ascent of the top.

the dam

Happy to be heading back to civilisation, we started the long walk downhill. The guide book says to descent to the dam and cross the burn. This left a few questions lingering in my mind. Above or below the dam? How to get to the dam? How to get up the other side???? I worry about stuff like this.

This was solved by heading for the trees above the dam, hanging onto the deer fence and lowering ourselves down the steep bank (judging by the shape of the fence, I gather this is what everyone else has done too). I had considered sitting astride the dam and doing a bum shuffle across (I think the alpine mountaineering term for this is "à cheval"). This was instantly overruled by Mrs H. We opted for stepping across the burn and just getting wet(er). Climb up the opposite bank and over the style. This leads a to a concrete walkway and brings you to the track. All we were left with was a plod in the shelter of the forest.

puggy line bridge

I was delighted to see the wee railway bridge through a gap in the trees. If you can imagine the old trestle bridges popular in cowboy movies, well, this is a miniature version. Very cool. This line was built to run from the aluminium smelter in Fort William to Laggan for engineering purposes. The main one being drilling a tunnel from Laggan under the Grey Corries, the Aonachs and Ben Nevis.

Back at the car 12 hours after leaving for tea, painkillers and clean, dry clothes.

Home for midnight. So the plan was a partial success.

12/07/2011 Ben Bheula

Ben Bheula (corbett)

Length: 8.73 miles  14.0 km Ascent: +1020m Naismith: 4h 31m

This was the third attempt at this Corbett. The first time me n' Mrs H didn't even get out the car. We couldn't open the door for the gale force wind. Attempt No. 2 ended in confusion, rain and a complete lack of motivation.

This time things would be different. Mrs H had said to go off myself, partly due to the previous days partial success and partly because I'm going have to work 5 days a week in a few weeks time. It may take some getting used to.

I was motivated, the weather was fine. What could possibly go wrong?

All started well, I followed the track up from Lettermay and continued up the new forestry path which brings you to steep grass at NS174988. I zigzagged up until the angle leveled off a wee bit and stopped for brunch. I knew that the way down from the summit was going to be interesting so I sat and studied the crags and came up with a solution.

Ben Bheula from NS176985

Satisfied with the way forward, I wandered up the ridge pausing only to swat flies, catch my breath or mop the sweat from my brow. Eventually arrived at the spot height 560 and took in the views.

To get to the Lochan na Cnaimh requires descent along the top of some small crags and a trend westwards. Fortunately it's not as high as it looks.

I reached the outflow of the lochan and was surprised to see a dam made from large rocks and a pipe with a sluice gate on the dry side.

Lochan na Cnaimh from the dam

I could see no sign of the path marked on the map that runs up to the bealach, so it was more steep grass and bog to reach the bealach where I managed to rip a large hole on the leg of my favourite trousers whilst climbing over the only fence of the day. Much bad language followed, fortunately I was on my own.

The next significant feature was the remains of a Grumman Wildcat (Martlet) F4F-3. The story can be found here.

I didn't see the cockpit remains or the engine. These two parts were about 10 to 15 meters apart.

wing section

and 

not sure

Looking up at Creag Sgoilte, I realised there was no direct route up so I'd have to move round to the west side. I eventually found and then followed a shallow gully and it brought me to a dip in the 2 summits of Creag Sgoilte. An easy wander along the summit ridge brought me to the summit proper and I found about 5 meters of faint path, the only hill path I'd seen all day.

at last, the summit in sight

I tried to remember the way down I'd made up in my head, unsurprisingly I couldn't match what I was standing on to what I'd seen before. The short gully I thought would take me down one "terrace" looked too steep so I wandered off towards the North-westish hoping to out flank the crags. I could see a path on the ridge below but couldn't see a way down.

I decided to take a look along a small grassy terrace and this proved more promising as I could see a grassy ramp leading to more level ground. Further round I found a straightforward if slightly steep way down and very soon I was on the path I'd seen from above. Not that it lasted long. From then on it was just a matter of picking my way down through bog and marsh to the slightly boggier and marshier Cowal Way to the nice dry firm road and back to the car.

I recon I took 6 hours give or take stoppage time. Felt more like 12.